I will be transiting SVO (Moscow) airport during a round trip from NYC to Bangkok...

(Aeroflot had inexpensive fares and only minor-league complaints when people wrote bad reviews, in my books, "the plane was dirty, had cheap plastic seating, and smelled like borscht" is minor league compared with "when my plane was delayed and I missed my connecting flight in Beijing I was on my own for a hotel and new flight in Beijing, China Air gave no help, financially or otherwise"). My return trip has a 17 hour layover in Moscow. (There's a reason those tickets were that cheap...) I am a US citizen. From what I understand, (a) I need a transit visa for layovers in Moscow over 12 hours; and/or (b) I would need one if I were to leave the airport during the 17 hour layover. My question to the "hive mind": has anyone been in this situation recently? Is it worth it to pay/wait for the transit visa? I have a reasonable timeframe to do so because my travel plans are for November. How much of Moscow outside the airport can I go and see and get back in time to make it to my connecting flight? How much can I reasonably expect this to cost?

Has anyone been in this situation recently?
Yes, between New York and New Delhi last summer, we were stuck in Amsterdam for around 22 hours. I also experienced a 20+ hour layover in American Samoa when traveling between Michigan and New South Wales the summer before my freshman year of high school.

Is it worth it to pay/wait for the transit visa?
Yes. Absolutely yes. The airport lounge's comfy chairs don't compare to experiencing a new culture.

I have a reasonable timeframe to do so because my travel plans are for November. How much of Moscow outside the airport can I go and see and get back in time to make it to my connecting flight?I've only been to St Petersburg but I can attest to the quality of transport options in the country, and the overall friendliness of the population. If you give yourself one hour to get out and two hours to get back, you're looking at a very fun 13+ hours of nonstop exploration. If I were you, I'd identify what you enjoy doing and then go from there; I'm of the quality over quantity mindset, but your tastes may differ.

How much can I reasonably expect this to cost?
I'd put aside maybe $100 for transit. You can experience quite a bit on the cheap, like food stands ($5-10), free photography of major architectural buildings you can access by foot, etc. Spend as little or as much as you want. I'd recommend hitting up the museums, but your interests may vary.posted by lotusmish at 8:25 AM on October 9, 2013

There is not much directly outside of the airport. Best option is probably taking the Aeroexpress train to Belorusskyi train station, where you can get on the metro. Wikitravel has some info. That way, you aren't the mercy of traffic (as you would be in bus or cab) or unscrupulous cab drivers. Last year, at about 2pm on a Tuesday, it took me 5 hours to go the ~16km from airport to hotel in the center of town by car. Traffic is awful in Moscow.posted by msbrauer at 9:21 AM on October 9, 2013

And I would count on it taking at least 2 hours to go one direction. You'll be confused about finding the right place for your chosen method of transit, need to change money, figure out what to do with your bags, might have to wait for the train or bus at least an hour, and then the actual travel time. It always takes a long time to get from the airport to Moscow. Saint Petersburg is a much different story. Moscow takes time.

As for bags, best option is probably leaving them at the train station if you do take the Aeroexpress train. Every train station has a left luggage service (called камера хранения) and it doesn't cost too much.posted by msbrauer at 9:47 AM on October 9, 2013

I have spent 8 hours in Moscow changing between night trains. We went to Red Square, saw Lenin's Tomb, bought Russian dolls, saw some of the metro architecture, had breakfast and lunch. It'll be worth it, just to save spending a day in the airport.posted by Helga-woo at 11:18 AM on October 9, 2013

Yes! It's actually pretty easy to take the AeroExpress into the city and use the metro to get to the major tourist spots. Learn a little of the Cyrillic alphabet before you go so you can read the signs to figure out where you are going, and you'll be fine.posted by greta simone at 11:58 AM on October 9, 2013

It's definitely worth it to leave the airport to see Moscow. When I went in 2005, the visa cost around $100. I'm not sure how much has changed in the past 8 years, but I would plan to have my trip into Moscow and back to the airport planned out. Official taxis are difficult to find, so consider booking a car service ahead of time to drop you off at a particular location and pick you up at another.posted by parakeetdog at 5:52 PM on October 9, 2013

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